Locking device for casket tops



1 1,531,487 F. LUNDBERG Locxme DEVICE FORCASKET TOPS and March 20, 1924'2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 31, 1925 March 31, 1925. 1,531,487

'F. LUNDB ERG I LOCKING DEVICE CASKET TOPS Filed latch 20, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 31-, 1925.

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LOCKING DEVICE FOR CASKET T015.

Application filed March 20, 1924. Serial No. 700,474.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK LUNDBERG, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, 6 and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in LockingDevices for Casket ops, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

My invention pertains to a locking device for casket tops, and the mainobject is to providemeans for quickly and effectively locking the glasstops on sealed metal caskets.

In the caskets now on the market, so far as known to me, the means forfastening the tops on the casket bodies includes a number of screws orclamps or eccentrics, frequently as high as 32, each of which has to betightened up separately; which requires considerable time and patience.And such [a large number of separate fastemng elements also present anunsightly appearance.

It is my object and purpose to overcome these objections and to providemeans for looking the casket top evenly and positively on a metal casketwith mechanism which requires only a slight turn of the hand in order toseal and lock the entire side of the casket top; and to arrange suchmechanism so that it is substantially concealed within the ledge of thecasket, and so that it will present a neat appearance.

ther objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a casket showing my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross motion taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showingthe mechanism in looking position;

Fi 1 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but

- showing the mechanism in unlocked position;

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;and

Fig. 6 isa vertical cross section taken on line 6-'-6 of Fig. 2.

The preferred form of my invention comprises a shelf 10 which issubstituted in place of the usual shelf portion of a casket, andincludes a lower art or -flan e 11 welded or soldered airtight to theower part of the usualledge 12 of a casket 13.

A horizontal part 14 is shelf for supporting a gas proved shape, and mayhave a de ressed or recessed portion 1 1 of any suita le shape forreceiving and retaining the gasket in proper position, the rim 16 of thecasket to 17 engaging and bearing on said gasket. vertical part 18extends from said horizontal part 1d and has a horizontal flange 19soldered or suitably secured to the upper part of horizontal flange 20of the casket ledge 12. The shelves of the four sides may be securedtogether airtight at the corners of the casket y soldering and weldingthe same, or may be made integral or continuone in any approved manner.

I provide particular locking mechanism for locking the rim of the topwith the asket airtight on the shelf of the cas et. This lockingmechanism includes U-shaped brackets 21 secured with flanges 22 againstthe vertical part 18 of the shelf. Catches 23 are fulcrumed with pivotpins 24 in said brackets and have their engaging ends 25 movable throughslots 26 in said shelf parts 18 and. engageable with the rim 16 of the'casket top. An operating bar 27 is slidably mounted at each side ofsaid casketin slots 28 provided in said brackets 21, said'bar havingslanting slots 29 through which extend operating arms 30 of said catches23. The upper part of each slot is arranged as a horizontal restingplace or seat 29 to hold the arm in looking position and preventaccidental release movement thereof. The longitudinal movement of thesebars in a clockwise direction around the casket, or toward the left handas seen in Fig. 5, moves the arms upward in said slots 29, and the ends25 downward into locking position thereby depressing the rim 16 andgasket 15, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the reverse movement ofsaid provided on saidet 15 of any apbars slides said arms downwardreleasing the catches and swinging their ends 25 back into the shelf out0 the way of said rim and substantially out of sight, as shown in Fig.4, the top of each catch being made arcuate to fully cover its slot 26when swung into lockin position and substantially covering its s at whenin unlocked position, thereby hidin the slot and concealing the lockingmec anism within the casket ledge.

I provide means foro crating each bar 27 with allof its associatecatches by a slight turn of the hand. This means comprises a rack bar 31fastened to bar 27, .as with screws 32, also a pinion 33 secured on apinion shaft "or bolt 34 being therewith rotatabl mounted in a bracket35 secured to the vertical part 18 of shelf 10; the pinion 33 and pinionshaft 34- may also be made integral if preferred, and an angular head 36is provided on each pinion shaft or bolt to be engaged by a suitable key37 (see ljig. 2) inserted through an openin 38 provided in each flange20 of ledge 12, or rotating said shaft and pinion to actuate said barsand catches. The end catch is placed close to each corner, and thepinion and rack are placed between thefirst and second catches, asshown. A cap may also be provided to cover the key 0 nin 38. I

My improve loc 'ng mechanism is readily secured within the usual ledge12 of the casket, and in place of the usual shelf; and it is onlynecessary to turn the key 37 with a slight turn of the hand in order toactuate the operating bar 27 and move all the catches along one side ofthe casket into locking position to lock the rim and gasket airti htdown on the horizontal portion 14 of the shelf 10; thus only fourturning movements are required to. 'lock. down all four sides of thetop. All unpleasant appearance is avoided, since the mechanism isconcealed Within the led e of the casket out departing from the spiritof the inven-,

body, where it is out of sig t and out of the.

way, and only ends 25 of the catches are visible in their lockingposition.

,While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for car rying my invention into efi'ect, this is capabio ofvariation and modification with tion. I, therefore, do not wish to belimited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire toavail myself of such variations and modifications as come within thescope'of the appended. claims.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is: J

1. Mechanism arranged to be mounted on s a casket, said mechanismincluding means for locking the top on said casket, and

means for actuating the locking means to lock an entire side of said toon said casket by a mere turn of the ban 2. Mechanism arranged to bemounted in the ledge of a metal casket said mechanism comprising meansfor locking the top on said casket, and means actuated by a turn "of thehand for operatin 'the locking means on an entire side of sai casket.

3. Mechanism arran ed to be mounted on a casket for locking t e topthereon, said mechanism comprising a (plurality of locking elementsengaging sai top, and key operated means for actuatin a plurality ofsaid locking elements simu taneously.

4. In a metal casket su porting means mounted in the ledge of saidcasket, catches mounted on said supporting means to en gage the to ofsaid casket, and means for moving a p urality of said catchessimultaneously into lockinlg position.

5. In a metal cas et, a shelf mounted on the ledge of said casket,catches mounted on said shelf and extending therethrough, and keyactuated means for operatin a Inra ity of said catches simultaneousg' toock an entire side of the top onto said casket.

the ledge of said casket, brackets on said shelf, catches insaidsbrackets to engage the rim of the casket top and lock it againstsaid shelf, and a member for engaging and moving a plurality of saidcatches simultaneously into locking position. \7. In a metal casket,locking mechanism mounted in the ledge of said casket and comprising ashelf, a bracket on said shelf, catches fulcrumed in said bracket toengage the rim of the casket top and lock it against said shelf, arms onsaid catches, and a bar with slots for receiving and operating said armsto move them simultaneously into locking or unlocking position.

8. In a metal casket, a shelf mounted on the ledge of said casket,brackets on said In a metal casket, a shelf mounted on said pinion andbarand thereby the plurality of catches.

10. In a -metal casket provided with a ledge, a shelf mounted on theinward side of said ledge, supporting brackets mounted on, said shelf,catches fulcrumed on said supporting brackets and extending through.slots insaid shelf to engage the rim of a casket top,arms on saidcatches, a bar with slanting slots receiving said arms to operate thecatches, and a key actuated pinion and rack for operating said bar andcatches to lock anentire side of'said top by a turn of saidpinion.

11. In a casket having a hollow ledge, nameto this specification in thepresence of locking mechanism mounted and concealed two subscribingwitnesses.

within said ledge and comprising locking 10 elements, and means forprotruding said ele- FREDERICK LUNDBERG.

5 ments from said ledge into locking engage- Witnesses:

ment with the top of said casket. JOSHUA R. H. Pe'rrs,

In testimony whereof I have signed my MARGARET AUER.

